


The Day We Fell Apart

by DiamondBlade



Series: Thankful [2]
Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Charge
Genre: Documentary, Head Injury, M/M, Skateboarding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 16:40:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20969711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiamondBlade/pseuds/DiamondBlade
Summary: Chase and Riley get ready for the big documentary shoot at the amusement park, and explore not only Riley's farm, but their relationship as well. Moana and Constance (Riley's mom) connect over "Sixty Shades of Beige." Later, Chase suffers an injury during shooting, while Riley looks on in horror.





	The Day We Fell Apart

**Author's Note:**

> It was 2015. "Fifty Shades of Grey" mania was sweeping the country. Why not incorporate it here? Yes, that tampon scene really does happen in the book.

Chase awoke at 6:00am, even though he had just gotten to sleep at three. The excitement of both the upcoming documentary and spending the week with Riley and his family kept his mind racing. Additionally, Moana – who had basically become his mother over the years – was going to be there. He wasn’t sure of her sanity, but her heart was always in the right place. He knew that it was too early to call Riley, so he decided to turn on the TV and see what was on. He started at channel 2. 

_“It slices! It dices! It makes thousands of julienne fries!”_

“No, thanks.” He changed the channel. \click\ 

_“Oh, John!” “Oh, Marsha!”_

“Oh, no.” \click\ 

_“Þú ljós heiminn minn eins og enginn annar. Leiðin sem þú flettir hárið fær mig óvart .”_

He stared at the TV, dumbfounded. “What…?” He shook his head. “I might as well take a shower and pack. There’s nothing on this early.” He got out of bed and walked toward the bathroom, removing his shirt and tossing it onto a nearby pile of laundry. When he got to the bathroom, he laid a towel down on the floor, set the other one on the counter, and turned on the water to warm it up. He pulled down his pants and boxers, kicking them into the corner. He paused to check himself out in the door mirror. “Looking good!” He flexed and smiled, nodding with approval at the view. Steam started to fill the room, so he got into the shower. 

~*~ 

Riley awoke to the sound of his iPod alarm clock, and the song _Box Track_ by Notebook Noise. _~ Put a stripper on the woofer, watch her box get wet… ~_ He shot out of bed and ran to the clock, turning it off. He removed his iPod from the clock and scrolled through the list, wondering if he actually had his own iPod, or if someone had switched it. He recognized other artists in his library – Kelly Clarkson, Staind, Jasmine Rae, The Bloodhound Gang – but, yet, there this song was. “Must’ve been one of those Singles of the Week that iTunes used to put out,” he said. He put the iPod back on the dock and turned the song back on. “I’ll admit that it’s a catchy tune.” He aimed it toward the door, turning it up just enough that he could hear it as he walked to the bathroom. “Might as well hit the shower,” he commented. “Since it’s only 7, I know that Chase isn’t up yet. I could probably get a good workout session in before he even gets out of bed.” He turned the water on for his shower, still grooving to that strange song. “I’ll bet Chase snuck this on there. This is the kind of song that he’d think would be fun to plant in my playlist.” Stripping out of his clothes and setting them in a neat pile on the floor, he got into the shower. 

~*~ 

Chase, dressed in warm-up pants and a tank top, grabbed his water bottle off of the kitchen counter and headed for the door. “I’ve got to look good for tomorrow, so I should probably go for a run.” He grabbed his keys and walked out of his apartment, locking the door behind him. Taking the elevator down to the first floor, he debated on running indoors or outdoors. When he got to the lobby, he exited the elevator and looked at the weather station that was right next to him. “Hm, 38 degrees. Should I be brave and do an outdoors run, or go to the gym, where it’s probably 72?” He thought it over. “I could always run over to Ry’s. He’s probably just getting up, so he’ll probably have something good cooked up for breakfast. It’s only a couple of miles. I can handle it.” He jogged toward the automatic door of his apartment, which he ran right into, since it was out of order. He stopped and rubbed his head. “Damn cheap door!” He pushed the sliding doors apart and walked through, closing them behind him. As he walked out from underneath the awning above the door, he felt a snowflake land on his shoulder. He looked up and saw that it was, in fact, now snowing. “Okay, hot shot, even you’re not stupid enough to run in the snow. Driving it is!” He walked toward his car and got into it, turning it on and cranking up the heat. He tuned the radio to Z106.7, which was playing _Black and Yellow_ by Wiz Khalifa. Chase started tapping the steering wheel in rhythm to the beat. “This is my jam!” He backed out of his parking space, put the car into drive, and drove over to Riley’s house, a five-minute drive. He pulled into the driveway and put the car into park, turned it off, and walked up to the front door. He sifted through his keys until he found the one that he needed, unlocked the door, and walked in. He heard music coming from upstairs, and went to investigate. He got to the top of the stairs and pinpointed the music as coming from the bedroom. He saw Riley walk from the bathroom into the bedroom, wearing nothing but a towel, and smirked. He slowly walked toward the bedroom door and crept up behind Riley, who was oblivious to what was happening. Chase put his hands over Riley’s eyes. “Guess who?” Instinctively, Riley grabbed the arm of his would-be attacker and flipped him onto the bed, then backed away to see who it was. “Good morning to you, too…” 

He gasped. “Chase! I didn’t… I mean, it was a reflex!” He held his hand out for Chase to grab and use as a support to get off of the bed. “Why would you sneak up on me like that?” 

Chase, however, now had another plan. He grabbed Riley’s hand and pulled him on top of him, bringing him face to face with him on the bed. “I love it when you’re scared.” He looked at Riley’s arms. “Have you been working out?” 

“Why, Chase, I do believe that you’re coming onto me,” he replied, smiling. He began to kiss Chase, who pulled him closer and deepened the kiss, rolling him over so that he was now on top. 

“I think I’d like it if you came onto me, if you know what I mean,” Chase said, holding Riley’s arms to the side and looking him in the eyes. He moved down Riley’s torso, kissing down his chest and abs as he slid down, stopping to stand up when he got to the towel. He lifted his tank top over his head and threw it into the corner. 

Chase’s movements drove Riley crazy. He loved the way that Chase’s muscles stretched and contracted when he took his shirt off. He felt himself starting to get hard. “Fortunately for you, I’m not wearing anything except this towel.” He smiled and put his hands behind his head. “Take it off with your teeth.” 

“Sir, yes, sir,” he replied, saluting in a joking fashion. He knelt down and was about to bite down on the towel when Riley’s phone started to ring. He looked at it, then at Riley, sighing. 

“Yeah, I know.” Riley sat up and grabbed his phone. Chase, in the meanwhile, stood up and walked away. He answered the incoming call. “Hello?” 

_“Ry, it’s your mother. Have you left yet?”_

He looked at the clock. “Mom, it’s only 7:15. I wasn’t planning on leaving until later.” He looked over at Chase, who had put his tank top back on and was sitting on a chair, playing a game of Trivia Crack on his own phone. “MUCH later,” he added, loudly enough that Chase would hear him. 

_“You know how traffic is on Sundays. You should have left an hour ago.”_

“Mom, is there a real reason why you called?”

_“Can’t a mother call her younger son without needing an ulterior motive?”_

“Most mothers, yes. You, however, usually call early like this when there’s something going on.” 

_“Well, it’s about Rubik. You see, he – Look, you should just get here as soon as you can. Have you left yet?”_

“No, Mom. I’m on the phone with you. We’ll leave in a few minutes, I promise.”

_“Brunch is at 10. Grandma’s paying. We’re going to Denny’s!” _She ended the call after that sentence. 

“Hello?” Riley looked at his phone and saw his home screen. He turned back toward Chase, who was now standing up, wearing one of his larger jackets. “What are you doing?” 

“You told your mom that we were leaving now.” 

“Um…” He glanced down toward the towel. “We were in the middle of something.” Chase shrugged. “What’s that supposed to mean?!” 

“I’m not in the mood anymore.” Riley just looked at him. “I’m not!” 

“You’re always in the mood. That’s what I love about you.” 

“Well, when your mother calls and brings your sex session to a screeching halt, it kind of kills the mood.” He noticed that Riley was giving him the puppy-dog pout. “No, it’s not going to work. Get dressed, and I’ll come back for you in a bit.” He walked out of the bedroom. 

“He’ll be back,” Riley said, now sitting on the bed. He heard the front door close, and then he heard Chase’s car fire up and back out of his driveway. He looked through the bedroom door. “Chase?” He looked around. “Well, I guess I’d better finish getting dressed and packed.” 

~*~ 

Chase returned an hour later with Moana. He pulled into Riley’s driveway and honked the horn. Riley walked out of his house pulling a couple of rolling suitcases. He stopped and closed the door behind him, then continued toward Chase’s car. Chase popped the trunk, and Riley loaded his bags in. He closed the trunk and walked to the front passenger side door. He opened it and got into the car. He closed the door and leaned over to give Chase a quick kiss, but stopped when he caught a glimpse of Moana out of the corner of his eye. “Oh… Hello…” 

“Don’t mind me! You two lovebirds can do whatever you want up there. I’ll just sit back here and catch up on my reading!” She leaned down and started to fish through her bag, looking for a good book to read. 

Riley stared daggers at Chase. “How does Moana know?” 

“She figured it out on her own, mate. She _is_ a fortune teller, after all.” Chase started the car and backed out of the driveway, starting their trip. 

“And, she’s here because…? I thought this was a trip for us to visit my family.” 

“I wanted to catch a glimpse of some supernatural activity around the old amusement park that Chase here is going to be filming at. Plus, that nice Mister Santamonica promised to give me a guided tour of the set, and something about 69 glasses of wine, I think. I couldn’t really make out that last part.” She picked up a book and opened it up. “Okay, now, where was I? Oh, yeah.” 

Riley caught a glimpse of the cover. “’Sixty Shades of Beige’?” 

“Everyone’s reading it!” Moana replied. “You should give it a shot. It’s really captivating!” 

He shook his head, leaning back into his own seat. “No, that’s quite alright.” 

Moana shrugged. “Suit yourself!” 

“You know,” Chase spoke, “I don’t appreciate your tone toward Moana. She’s basically been my guardian ever since I moved here from New Zealand. Yes, I probably should have mentioned that she was coming, but you don’t need to be rude.” 

“I wasn’t being rude.” 

“I’d beg to differ. ‘How does she know?’ ‘And, she’s here because…?’ Do you think that, just because we’re a couple now, I shouldn’t be allowed to hang around anyone except you and the other Rangers? I should just become some sort of hermit?” 

“No, it isn’t like that at all. I just… I was shocked to see her, is all.” 

“I think you should apologize, both to Moana for your attitude, and to me.” 

“Chase, he doesn’t need to apologize to me. After all, we barely know each other.” 

“No, Moana, I think that he does.” He looked over at Riley. “Well?” 

Riley looked back toward Moana. “I’m sorry for my attitude toward you. I shouldn’t have been rude. Heck, maybe you and my mother will get along!” 

“Apology accepted,” Moana replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Mr. Beige is about to meet up with Ms. Irons in the bathroom.” She went back to her book. 

Riley looked toward Chase. “And, what am I apologizing to you for, sir?” 

“For giving your mother your phone number, so she can call you when we’re about to have sex,” Chase said, smirking. “Does she have some sort of fun radar?” 

Riley laughed. “I think she might, so… I’m sorry for not turning my phone off last night, I guess?” 

“It’s fine. I’ll just make up for this morning tonight.” 

“Ew, gross!” Moana exclaimed. Chase stopped the car at the intersection, and he and Riley turned around. She looked up. “Oh, it was the book. Kristoff Beige just pulled Anya’s tampon out and flung it into the toilet, right after he asked her when she started her period. Did you two say something?” 

Riley and Chase shook their heads and turned back toward the front. Chase slipped his hand onto Riley’s left thigh, feeling down toward his knee, and back up toward his crotch. He felt Riley’s leg quiver from the sensation and looked over, smirking. Riley looked down, then up toward Chase, smiling as well. They leaned in and started to kiss, when the car behind them honked. Chase quickly turned his attention back to the road. Riley turned away, looking out the window. 

~*~ 

The car pulled up to the farmhouse at 9:59. Chase, Moana, and Riley got out, coming face to face with Constance, who was furiously tapping her watch. “Do you have any idea what time it is?” 

Chase pulled out his phone and checked the time. “It’s one minute ‘til ten.” 

“Exactly! We’re going to be late! Everyone, into the van!” 

“Mom?” 

“What is it?” 

“Denny’s serves breakfast all day, and the lunch menu doesn’t start until eleven.” 

Constance hesitated, thinking on the fly for something to come back with. She had nothing. “All day, huh?” She looked around at the rest of the family, who were nodding. “Oh, so we have time.” 

“By the way, Mrs. Griffin,” Chase pondered, “what’s happening with Rubik that we had to rush down here so quickly?” 

“There’s something wrong with Rubik?” Matt asked, “What about Mrs. O’Flanagan’s poodle and the upcoming puppies? Are they going to make it?” 

“Shh!” Constance tried to stifle Matt’s commentary, but it was too late. 

“Rubik’s going to have puppies?” Riley grinned. “Aw!” His expression quickly changed. “Wait a minute. THAT was the big news?” Constance nodded. “You made it sound like Rubik was dying!” 

“So, I exaggerated a tad.” She glanced over at Moana, who was holding the book. “Oh, my gosh, is that ‘Sixty Shades of Beige’?” 

Moana looked down. “Yes, it is! I love it!” 

“Have you gotten to the bathroom scene yet?” 

“Yes, and it was gross! Seriously, who does that?” 

“Can we please get back to the subject at hand here? Mom, if you wanted us to come down earlier, all you had to do was ask, instead of making up some weird story to make us fly down here.” 

“Really? You would have changed your busy plans and come down here earlier if I just asked?” Riley and Chase both nodded in response. “Oh…” She giggled. “Whoopsie!” 

Chase leaned over and whispered in Riley’s ear, _“I think your mum’s got problems.”_

_“I know,”_ he whispered back. 

“Well, since we’re all here, we might as well get going. We can go to brunch, then maybe we can just travel around town,” Constance suggested. “I didn’t wake you up this morning, did I?” 

“No, not at all! I was just in the middle of –“ 

“—Watching the news on TV,” Chase interjected. 

Constance dismissed the notion of the news. “It’s just the same news from Friday all weekend. You’re not missing much. Let’s get into the van and get going!” She headed toward the van, followed by Grandma Iola, and Matt brought up the rear, stopping by Riley on the way to the van. 

“I know that you and Chase were either getting it on, or about to, when Mom called. You know that she’s got some kind of fun radar, right?” Matt smirked, and then continued on toward the van. 

“I knew it!” Chase exclaimed. He walked toward the van, followed by Moana, who was still deep into her reading. 

“Am I that obvious?” Riley asked. He looked around. “Oh, yeah, everyone already left. Now, I’m talking to myself. That’s normal.” He walked toward the van and got in, sitting in the back next to Chase. Constance backed the van up, and they were off. 

~*~ 

That night, Chase was sitting on the couch, playing a rousing game of Trivia Crack, when Riley walked in and sat beside him, putting his arm around him. “How’d you like today?” 

“I’d rather not talk about it,” Chase said, not lifting his attention from his phone. 

“Aww, what’s the matter? Didn’t you like spending a day with my _crazy_ family?” He asked, grinning. 

Chase closed out of the game and put his phone on the coffee table. He turned toward Riley. “You didn’t tell me that your entire family was bloomin’ nuts, mate! I mean, I could have figured Matt to be a bit bananas, judging by our last visit…” 

“Don’t forget my mom’s call this morning.” 

“Yeah, there’s that, too. I think your grandmother might be the most normal one out of all of you.” 

“Hey!” Riley playfully shoved Chase. “I resent that remark!” 

He snickered. “Oh, c’mon, Ry, we both know that you’ve got some crazy in you. The sooner you own up to it, the better your life will be.” 

“I am _nothing_ like my family, and you know it.” 

_“I used to tell myself the same thing.”_ They both turned and saw Grandma Iola walking in the hallway past the living room. She stopped to talk to them. “Crazy seems to skip around, though, so you might have lucked out, Riley. Now, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“Good night, Grandma,” Riley said. 

“G’night, Iola,” Chase added. 

“You’d better get your beauty sleep tonight. Tomorrow’s your big day!” She walked off toward her bedroom. 

Chase looked at the clock. “She’s right, you know.” 

Riley stopped him in his tracks on the couch. “Not so fast. I believe that someone owes me a little something from this morning.” 

He looked around. “Here?” 

“With the entire family within earshot? I’m not stupid, Chase. We’ll go into the back outbuilding. It’s far enough away from the house that nobody will hear us, and there aren’t any neighbors for miles. Plus, I’m pretty sure Matt finished it off at one point.” 

“Ooh, a secret love nest… I like the sound of that. Let’s go!” Chase got up, followed by Riley. The two walked through the house to the back door and out into the backyard. “Where exactly is this outbuilding?” 

Riley pointed past the barn. “That way.” He led Chase past the barn and down a dirt path to a small building about a thousand feet from the main house. “Here it is!” 

Chase looked at it. “It’s kind of run down, isn’t it?” 

“Outward appearances aren’t everything. Wait until we get inside.” Riley walked up to the building and opened the door, holding it open. “After you, good sir.” 

Chase walked in and was immediately taken aback by what he saw. It looked exactly like the hotel room that he used to reserve at the Three Trees. “Ry, this place is amazing!” 

“The best part,” Riley said, taking Chase’s hand and pulling him close, “is that nobody will hear us.” He looked into Chase’s eyes and leaned in to kiss him. 

He leaned down and kissed Riley, deepening the kiss after a short time. A minute passed, and he pulled back. “I’ve been waiting all day for this.” He stepped back and took off his shirt. Riley followed suit, lifting his shirt over his head and throwing it into the corner. Chase embraced him and kissed him passionately, his hands moving up and down Riley’s back, occasionally moving down toward his rear. 

After a few minutes, Riley broke the kiss. “Let’s go to the bed.” He led Chase to the bed, and the two briefly kissed again, before Chase guided him down to the mattress. He crawled on top of him, kissing up his torso to his neck and back down. “Oh, Chase…” He unbuttoned Riley’s jeans and unzipped them. Riley arched his back enough that Chase would be able to pull his jeans down. He pulled them off, throwing them across the room, and then focused on Riley, whose dick was showing through the fly of his boxers. Chase pulled Riley’s dick through the fly and licked it up and down the shaft, taking it into his mouth and sucking it, sending shivers through Riley’s body and causing him to moan. He pulled his boxers off and continued to suck his dick. Riley’s moans were getting louder. He started to thrust as Chase sucked, developing a rhythm. 

Chase slowed down to a stop, standing up and undoing his own jeans. “It’s your turn.” Chase pulled down his jeans and briefs in one fell swoop, and his erect dick presented itself to Riley, who sat up on the edge of the bed and took him into his mouth. Riley sucked Chase’s dick, using his tongue to swirl around the head, which was the one move that he knew drove Chase crazy. He moaned with pleasure, grabbing onto the footboard of the bed for support. He thrusted in time with Riley’s sucking, creating a rhythm similar to the one that they just shared. After a few minutes, he stepped back from Riley and motioned for him to turn around. Riley got up and turned around, bending over the side of the bed. 

Chase walked over to his discarded jeans and pulled out a foil packet. He tore it open with his teeth, pulled out the condom, and rolled it onto his dick. He came back to Riley and positioned himself at Riley’s entrance. He slowly inserted his dick into Riley’s ass, allowing him time to get used to the sensation. Riley moaned. “Oh, God, Chase!” Once inside, he paused, and then slowly pulled out about halfway, before going back in slowly. He did this a few times, allowing Riley to get used to the sensation, and then he began to increase in speed, getting faster and faster. The two of them moaned as the sensation overtook both of their bodies. “Fuck me, Chase! Harder!” 

“You sure?” 

“Mmm… Yeah…” That was all Chase needed to hear. He began to pound Riley’s ass, making him moan loudly with each thrust. He was hitting that sweet spot that Riley had, and he knew that he was getting close to climaxing. He slowed down, and then pulled out, flipping Riley over before going back in. Riley moaned, keeping his eyes closed. “Oh, Chase… Fuck me…” He bent over and kissed Riley, still fucking him. The two moaned between kisses. Chase felt Riley’s ass start to clench. “Chase, I’m gonna cum!” He stood back up and slowed his thrusting. Riley grabbed his dick and started to jerk it. After a few seconds, he ejaculated, moaning loudly and shooting all over his midsection. His breathing slowed down, as did his hand movement, until he finished. 

Chase pulled out and bent over, licking the cum off of Riley’s dick and abs, swallowing some of it. He licked some off of Riley’s abs and kissed him. He stood up, slipped the condom off, and started to jerk his own dick. After a short while, Chase felt himself about to climax. He stood over Riley and ejaculated, shouting as stream after stream flew everywhere. Some landed on Riley. Some landed on the bed. One stream even made it to the wall. Chase calmed down and opened his eyes, snickering. “Guess I don’t know my own strength!” He grabbed a nearby towel and tossed it to Riley. “Sorry ‘bout that, mate!” 

“Oh, think nothing of it,” he commented, wiping himself off. He got up and wiped Chase off as well. “That’s what I love about you.” He kissed him. “Now, we’d better get cleaned up and head back to the house.” 

“Won’t your family wonder why we’re coming back into the house in wrinkled clothes?” 

“If they’re even awake.” 

“Riley Griffin, I think I’m becoming a bad influence on you.” 

“If that’s the case,” he said, kissing Chase again, “then I wanna be bad.” 

Chase smiled and kissed Riley again. “I love you.” 

Riley broke the kiss after thirty seconds. “I love you, too. Hey, you should sleep in my bed tonight. I’ll take the couch.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah. You’ve got your shoot tomorrow. You’ll need a good night’s sleep. I’ll take the couch.” 

“If that’s what you want, then sure.” 

~*~ 

The next morning, Chase awoke in Riley’s bed. He got up and stretched, and then walked over to the window. “What a beauty of a day!” 

_“Speak for yourself,”_ Riley said, standing in the doorway, yawning. “I didn’t get much sleep at all.” 

“Well, I just want to thank you for the wonderful night last night.” Chase walked over to Riley and hugged him. “Today should go great!” 

“Ow!” Riley winced in pain as Chase embraced him. “That’s where the spring on the couch poked me in the back.” 

“I’m sorry!” Chase broke the hug and stepped back. He looked Riley up and down. “You really are a wreck!” 

“Thanks.” Riley rubbed his back. “I’m buying these people a new couch for Christmas.” 

“On what Kendall pays us at the café?” He snickered. 

“There’s always Craigslist.” 

_“I wouldn’t! That’s where Matt met his last ex-girlfriend,”_ Grandma Iola commented from her bedroom. _“I think she was an actual troll!”_

_“Grandma!”_ Matt exclaimed from his bedroom. 

Riley rolled his eyes. “Anyway, you’d better get into the shower first. Hot water’s at a premium. If you’re not first, then your shower’s going to be like ice.” 

“Thanks for the tip, Ry.” Chase grabbed an outfit and walked toward the door, stopping to ruffle Riley’s hair en route to the shower. “You’re the best!” 

He pushed Chase’s hands away, and then tried to smooth out his hair. “I told you to stop doing that!” 

“I know.” Chase grinned. “That’s why I keep doing it!” He headed toward the bathroom. 

Riley sighed. “What am I going to do with you?” 

_“I’ll bet I can guess,”_ Matt commented from his room. 

“Shut up!” Riley shouted. 

~*~ 

Later that morning, Chase and Riley’s family pulled up to the old Six Flags Park, where production trucks were lined up everywhere. Constance pulled into a space near the main production office trailer, and everybody got out of the van. “Okay, we’re here. Now, what happens?” 

_“Chase Randall, is that you?”_ They turned and saw Santamonica walking toward them, dressed in jeans and a jacket, wearing a beret. “It’s great to see you! You’re looking fantastic!” He looked over at Riley and his family. Without commenting, he looked at Moana. “And, who is this lovely lady?” 

“I’m Chase’s aunt, Moana. I’ll take my 69 wines in my trailer, please.” 

“Um… What?” 

“Don’t mind her,” Chase explained. “She’s a little confused. So, these stunts that you’re going to have me film. Riley here was having some safety concerns, considering that this _is_ an old amusement park and all…” 

“Yes. In particular, will you be providing safety equipment, doctors on staff, and – should the need arise – a healthy bank account to pay for any and all medical expenses?” 

Santamonica looked at him. “No, no, and no.” 

“Don’t worry, Riley. I’ve got my helmet and pads with me. I’ll be fine. Relax.” 

“Exactly! Your lovely family can watch the filming feed in the old Seaside Theater, which we’ve turned into our own production facility,” Santamonica explained. “Chase, you can have one person with you on location, if you wish.” 

“What do you say, Ry? Wanna be my ‘plus one’?” Riley nodded. “There you go.” 

“Fantastic! Any concerns?” 

“I have one,” Matt spoke, raising his hand. “Nothing actually works in this park, right?” Santamonica nodded. “Oh, good.” Suddenly, he heard a traditional merry-go-round song begin. He quickly looked around, pinpointing the source. “Grandma!” 

“Oh, sorry, dear. Was I humming again?” She smirked, and then started to hum the ditty again. 

“Stop it!” 

“Um, yeah. The Seaside Theater is that way. Chase, you and your friend can come with me.” 

“I’ll be in your trailer, Mr. Santamonica,” Moana said. “There’d better be 69 wines in there!” 

He rolled his eyes and sighed. 

~*~ 

Chase and Riley arrived at the old Wave Pool, which had been cleaned and transformed into a perfect skateboard area. Chase looked at it in amazement. “I’ve never seen such a huge skate deck.” 

Riley got down close, and inspected as much as he could. “It looks safe enough.” He stood back up, and leaned over to Chase. “Please be careful.” 

“What’s the worst that could happen?” 

“Okay, Chase, babe, you’re going to skateboard through this giant pool, doing as many tricks as possible. We need action shots for our documentary, and lots of them. The better you are, the more we’ll pay you. Got it?” Chase nodded. “Riley, you can watch by our directors.” Santamonica escorted Riley over to the cameras, leaving Chase to strap his gear on. He sat in his chair, and Riley sat in an unmarked one next to him. “Chase, are you ready?” He gave a thumbs-up. “ACTION!” 

Chase launched himself into the pool, skating up and around the pool, doing tricks as he came up the sides. Riley watched in amazement, as did Santamonica. Chase kept skating around the pool, but something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He’d seen a field mouse run into the pool, and he was now headed right for it. He jumped over it, but his board came out from under his feet. He landed on the bottom of the pool, his head bouncing once on the bottom of the pool. His board rolled to a stop at an incline, and slowly rolled back down toward him. 

Riley shot up. “CHASE!”


End file.
